One day over dinner someone asked me a very interesting question: Why do people crave things like donuts and candy and not life-giving, cancer-fighting foods like spinach and broccoli?
I simply said that it is an amazing question and that I have asked myself many times. In fact, I also went on to say that even though I’m a trainer, I have a lot of the same difficulties with food that most people do. It has always puzzled me why I crave sweets and not a bowl of spinach and broccoli. I mean, how can it be that foods like broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc., which provide nutrients that are vital to our well-being, don’t make us addicted like junk food does? I just have to get through the Crispy Crème donuts and I start to fantasize about how delicious those little suckers will be.
In recent months I have come across some insights as to why many are addicted to or crave junk food. Hopefully, this information will at least motivate you to keep these foods out of your house. Outside your home you will be tempted by many opportunities to eat these lifeless and addictive foods.
World famous health and nutrition expert, Paul Chek http://www.ChekInstitute.com, calls this the “can’t eat oneself syndrome”. First, he explains in his “You Are What You Eat” audio series that junk foods or non-foods are foods that:
1. Offer little or no nutrition.
2. Force the body to use its own nutritional reserves to assimilate and digest food.
It is surprising that you are eating to nourish yourself with food, but with non-food you are actually depleting yourself of more nutrients, thus creating a need for more nutrition.
These same non-food foods also cause you to overeat and possibly become addicted to these foods.
The reason is that as food enters your mouth, your brain can detect if there is actually any nutrition (vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, etc.) present in these foods. If there isn’t, then the brain simply tells you to keep eating until you find nourishment. The problem with donuts, cookies, and sodas is that there will never be anything nutritious in that meal. So what happens is you just eat the whole box or sip 20 ounces of that soda. This creates a huge problem with your blood sugar because you have just ingested a large amount of worthless sugar which spikes your blood sugar and forces your pancreas to secrete a huge amount of insulin to lower your blood sugar in the blood. Your blood sugar level then plummets to very low levels and you feel horrible and guess what? Hungry again! And what better way to boost your energy level than with nutrient-free, sugar-free junk food!
Can you see what I mean here? These non-foods actually cause an addictive cycle similar to that of hard drugs and alcohol! In fact, Paul Chek even talked about how scientists discovered that the addictive mechanisms of sugar and hard drugs are actually very similar.
You get high and feel great and then you crash and feel worse than ever and crave the same substances that got you high in the first place. This to me is unbelievable and very scary. Eventually, what also happens with hard drugs and alcohol is that you need more to get the same high. Now look at what’s happening to you: You’re eating a food that gets you high, robs you of valuable nutrition, makes you sick, makes you fat, and makes you want more.
The same reason you crave non-food is the same reason you don’t crave spinach and broccoli. One could easily swallow 20 ounces of soda, but try spinach juice and you’re likely to vomit. The reason for this is that the brain will sense the huge amount of nutrition coming in and say that it is enough. We naturally eat until we are full and it doesn’t happen with non-food foods, but it happens easily with real foods.
With the real food you eat, you feel good, you don’t get bloated, you don’t get high, you don’t crash, you don’t overeat, and you just get nourished.
So how to protect yourself?
First let me say that we started with a very big handicap. Since we start eating these junk foods and no foods at such a young age when we don’t know any better, the cycle can be difficult to break. Junk food is also heavily marketed to young children. Remember that children will become the adults who eat these foods, so what better time to reach for them than when they are young. I myself grew up on powdered iced tea, soda, crackers, pasteurized milk (which is also not a food) and many other sweets. I also ate real food like rice, vegetables, avocados, and meat, but I’ve always had too much access to non-food.
The first thing is not to keep anything that is not food at home:
This is especially important for your children because I think it’s easier for them to become addicted. Trust me and we all know this, but once you get out there you will be bombarded with temptations to indulge in food that is not food.
I have looked at many of my clients’ kitchens and none of them have passed my inspection. Many don’t even pass a second time (that’s how powerful these non-foods are). I mean, if scientists can compare sugar to hard drugs, that shouldn’t open their eyes.
Use a juicer and juice a few days a week – Most people don’t get enough vegetables in their diet and juicing is one of the easiest ways to do that. My favorite juice drink is spinach, kale, cucumber, and green apples (although I wish I had a craving)
Keep healthy snacks in the house like quality fruit, cheese, and yogurt. It is more expensive, but your health is not worth it. I mean it really makes me sad when someone can drive to McDonalds in a $50,000 car. They should have a $20,000 car and just eat better quality food.
Get tested to find out what type of food is right for you: We are all unique in that we require different amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat, and getting tested can help us determine which type we are suited to. Below are resources to help you determine which type you are.
Eat real food: Take the time to prepare quality meals at dinner time. Beef, chicken, turkey, and eggs are excellent sources of protein. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, salads, and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates. Don’t forget to include high-quality fats and oils in your diet, such as butter, coconut oil, cod liver oil, and olive oil.
If possible, try to buy organic meat and vegetables. They are more expensive but offer more nutrition than commercial foods.
Empower yourself: You just read this article because it might help you. Keep doing it! Please read the resources I have provided with this article so you can continue to learn for yourself. You have the power to be better. Never forget that!
Here are some great resources that can further enhance your knowledge on these topics:
You Are What You Eat by Paul Chek – This audio series will give you invaluable information on how to eat for optimal health. I can honestly say that the easy to understand information in this product can change your life!
http://www.chekinstitute.com/
http://www.Mercola.com/: The most comprehensive health website I have ever come across.
The best part it is free!